soft plastic design with a large, flat tail resembling a paddle

Floating Kelp. Sometimes Lots Of Fish Hiding Underneath.

Charter vessel carrying more than six fishermen. The norm is 30 to 100 people.

Same as an inlet, a natural water passage between the bays and ocean.

A patch of coral reef inshore of the main reef line. For instance, most of the Florida Keys' main reef is a half-dozen miles offshore. But the patch reefs are small, isolated, and scattered anywhere between dry land and the deeper water.

A generic name for the recipe to tie a fly.

the practice of targeting areas which share the exact set of water conditions such as depth, cover, structure, temperature, clarity, currents, etc., which have produced bass at similar locations all over the same body of water

Part of a mechanism in fishing reels. Basically, it is a ratchet part that engages the notch between the teeth of a gear. Pawl systems are used in anti-reverse and clicker systems of some reels.

Method of worm fishing where the slip sinker has an object like a toothpick stuck into it to keep the sinker from sliding up the line.

True, ocean-going fish that roam the deep water.

Macroscopic "buglike" creatures, smaller than the head of a pin, that are found in rivers and lakes.

Single-strand fishing leader that closely resembles the wire inside your piano.

Crusty fishermen who spend many hours and days on the big surf piers, waiting (and often sleeping out there) until the fish begin biting. These people have the art of pier fishing down to a science, with their own customs.

A small wire box designed to be left at the marina or under a moored boat, and baited with fish scraps. Live pinfish make an excellent bait.

Tiny Baitfish, Usually Die Immediately After Being Hooked.

Rod featuring a short rubber or cork handle similar to that of a pistol. These type rods are good for close range, accurate casting.

a presentation technique by which a lure is pitched and skips underneath overhanging cover such as a boat dock

Method of longer-range flipping, where the lure is tossed in an underhand motion very close to the water's surface.

Term describing when a boat gets onto the surface of the lake, rather than being in the water the boat in planning on top of the water.

Devices used in trolling to run lines out to lateral positions away from each side of the boat. Planers keep multiple trolling lines separated to avoid tangles and to cover a wider area.

A general term for microscopic organisms at the base of the food chain. This can include everything from adult one-celled organisms to juvenile stages of various fish and mollusks. Because they are subject to wind and current, they are often concentrated in huge clouds, making them forage for everything from minnows to large filter-feeding animals like whales.

a molded soft plastic lure designed to imitate a worm, eel or snake; plastic worms are manufactured in numerous sizes, shapes and colors

In general, lures manufactured from flexible vinyl and polycarbonate derivatives.

area Of Fish

Where fast current rushes around boulders and other obstructions, creating pockets of calmer water.

Menhaden shad. Famous for their oil content, they make the best saltwater chum. Also a must for live-trolling in Atlantic kingfish tournaments. Frequently caught with castnets. Their dense schools underwater are frequently betrayed along the beachfront by dive-bombing pelicans.

Rich, golden oil from menhaden, also called pogey, makes the ideal chum in salt water for many gamefish. It makes a slick on the water. Available in coastal tackle stores.

a technique in which the angler clears a hole in floating vegetation so that he or she can then present a lure through the hole

A very necessary part of a fly fisherman's kit. By virtue of a "grille" of tiny bars sandwiched between two layers of glass, polarized glasses eliminate glare reflected from water and allow a fisherman to see into the water.

Topwater lure that makes a popping, or spitting commotion when retrieved. Example; Rebel Pop-R.

A Styrofoam cork with the top shaped to make it gurgle when yanked. The noise is supposed to imitate sounds of fish feeding on top, thereby attracting the attention of gamefish.

Trailer for jigs or spinnerbaits made originally from pork rinds.

the period immediately after the spawn when female bass frequently are exhausted from laying eggs and protecting their beds; the period leading into the summer season

the point at which line breaks when pulled with a specific amount of pressure

technique by which large and/or fast-moving lures are used to create reaction strikes from bass; commonly regarded as the opposite of finesse fishing

practicing for a tournament

The act of delivering a fly to a fish.

the period shortly before spawning begins when big bass typically invade shallow water and feed voraciously

A short, wooden club used for subduing wild fish thrashing in the boat.

Angler who makes his/her living from fishing tournaments.

Fancy nickname for backlash or bird's nest in baitcasting reels.

Common term for the propeller of a trolling or outboard motor.

Topwater lure with a metal propeller on one or both ends. Example; Luhr-Jensen Wood Chopper.

Light brownish color used often in soft plastic lures. Very natural hue.

technique for fishing heavy matted cover (generally vegetation) with a soft plastic lure by which a slip sinker is pegged to the bait and the bait is cast, flipped or pitched into cover so that the sinker pulls the bait through the cover canopy and to the desired area below

The third phase of an insect's life cycle, when wings are beginning to grow.

A long, 20-foot pole made of wood or graphite, used for silently pushing the boat across the flats, easing within casting ranger of various fish, such as bonefish.